Bus Stops
by Shoumai
Summary: AU I guess. Just Shinji and Kaworu on a bus. KawoXShin if you want to look at it that way because heaven only knows that I can't seem to write without that happening.


A/N: I realize that anyone reading my Kuro fic will want to shoot me for this but this is what my muse gave me to work with. I hope it's good.

Disclaimer: If I owned it Kaworu wouldn't be dead and he and Shinji would be cannon.

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Shinji sits somewhere near the back of the bus, PDA held absently held in one hand, chin propped up in the other, eyes staring out the window but not seeing anything. He doesn't pay attention to the sights they pass or the stops the bus driver names.

He's getting off at the last stop. It doesn't matter where that is because he'll just board another bus that will drive him around town for more undetermined hours. As long as his PDA doesn't die, Shinji has nothing to worry about.

The bus slows to a stop and Shinji grips the device in his hand tighter as people start to get off.

Just one person gets on but Shinji doesn't pay any attention to it. Out of the corner of his vision he notes that the person is standing in front of his seat.

Shinji pauses the song and turns to look at the other boy. He had red eyes and silver hair, his skin is somehow paler than Shinji's own and there is a warm smile on his lips.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" His voice is gentle-sounding and every bit as warm as his smile.

Shinji nods, "S-sure." He says quietly.

The boy sits a little bit too close to Shinji's personal space so that their arms are in the faintest amount of contact. He's warm and it makes goose bumps flair up on Shinji's skin.

The bus starts to move again and Shinji unpauses his music and goes back to staring out the window.

Scenery blurs past indistinctly for another two stops before Shinji notices the noise in the background. It takes him a minute to realize that the sound is the person next to him speaking. Shinji turns off the music and looks at the other boy. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." He says lamely as he looks down at his hands, embarrassed.

The red-eyed boy's expression is understanding as he repeats himself. "Don't you think today would be a nice day for rain?"

The question makes Shinji look out the window again. This time he actually _sees_ what it looks like outside. The weather is perfectly clear without a single cloud in the sky. He says so with a note of confusion in his voice.

The boy's smile curves up just a little bit more. "I know. But today feels like a rainy day." He taps his fingers on the umbrella that Shinji hadn't noticed he had with him until just now. He's leaned in a bit closer to a better view out the window.

Shinji's blue eyes follow the other's gaze and he isn't sure why he answers. "Yeah…"

"Kaworu Nagisa."

"Huh?"

"My name."

"Oh." Shinji blushes faintly as warm breath tickles his cheek. "Shinji Ikari." He feels eyes on him and realizes that Kaworu is staring.

He isn't smiling, but instead staring with an honest expression. "You're very beautiful." He says matter-of-factly.

The comment makes Shinji's blush darken. "I'm not." He says in a small voice. No one had ever called him beautiful before and he isn't sure what to think of it other than it makes an odd bubble of happiness swell in his chest. Even if he doesn't believe it.

"You are." Kaworu says with absolute certainty. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

Shinji shakes his head. "No!" His voice comes out a little too loud making him wince and speak again, quieter. "I'm just a burden who can't do anything." The brunet feels his eyes water up faintly but does nothing. He won't cry, not here.

"Anyone who said that is wrong." Kaworu says with the same certainty. "Because you really are a person who deserves love."

How they went from being beautiful to deserving love Shinji doesn't know. This time the happy bubble makes it hard to protest so he pulls out one of his ear buds and offers it to the strange boy sitting with him instead.

Kaworu smiles again and accepts it, humming along to Ode to Joy as it plays on repeat.

Another bus stops passes like this and the number of people has thinned out a fair bit. Shinji's thoughts are everywhere and nowhere and he feels calm for the first time in a long time. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels Kaworu's hand close around his and thread their fingers together.

When Shinji looks over at the other boy to ask what he's doing his breath catches in his throat.

Kaworu's eyes are closed and if it weren't for the fact that he's still humming Shinji would think that he had fallen asleep. Shinji can't help but think that Kaworu is the beautiful one as his head comes to rest on Kaworu's shoulder of it's own accord.

"I feel like I've met you somewhere before." Kaworu says randomly after a few more minutes pass.

"Me too." Shinji agrees, but he knows better. He is positive that if he had met Kaworu even once before his life would not be as bad as it has been until now.

"I must have been born to meet you, then." The silver-haired boy decides and then goes back to humming.

Shinji blushes again but is too tired to say anything about it. Two days with no sleep seems to have caught up with him as his eye lids keep getting heavier. The sound of humming and the warmth of the body next to him fills his senses.

Shinji isn't sure when he fell asleep but he wakes to Kaworu lightly shaking him as the bus driver announces the stop. The bus is virtually empty although Shinji is pretty sure that it isn't the last stop yet. He lifts his head off of Kaworu's shoulder and tries to look away in embarrassment but gets caught in the other boy's gaze.

Something silent passes between them and Kaworu stands up and takes a few steps forward.

Shinji follows him and reaches his hand out uncertainly, instantly relieved when Kaworu threads their fingers together again.

Both boys get off the bus and step out into the pouring rain.

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End

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A/N: Thank you for reading. (bows) I hope you enjoyed.


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